Strategic Plan: Boundless Mercy, Infinite Possibilities

MERION MERCY ACADEMY STRATEGIC PLAN 2022-2027

CATHERINE M c AULEY

Through God’s boundless love, mercy has no beginning, no end, no limits. The more you give and receive it, the more it grows.

It is adaptive by nature, a force for all people and all times. We believe mercy has boundless and enduring power to transform people and our world for good.

For this reason, building mercy in authentic ways weaves into every aspect of our new strategic plan: Boundless Mercy, Infinite Possibilities.

This dynamic roadmap for the next five years will activate our community’s sense of faith, purpose, and belonging while developing smart, skilled, healthy, and compassionate women leaders who are uniquely prepared to take mercy into an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

STRATEGIC PLAN

For the past 135 years, Merion Mercy has prepared students for success in life as women of faith, committed to service in the world. As a Catholic school sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, Merion Mercy Academy follows the example of Catherine McAuley, whose life was a testament to the transformative power of mercy—a legacy that lives on today.

To continue our mission of mercy in ways that inspire and empower our community, we have engaged in a thorough process of exploring our past to chart a course for our future. Our planning process gave members of the community, including parents, students, alumnae, faculty, and staff the opportunity to help shape the school’s priorities through 2027.

Boundless Mercy, Infinite Possibilities will guide Merion Mercy Academy’s path forward by advancing our position as an academic leader and launch pad for principled leaders, enhancing our learning environments, and ensuring our long-term financial vitality. Most importantly, in the spirit of Catherine McAuley, we will continue to strive to live mercy and seek justice every day through our warm and welcoming environment, our commitment to serving others, and our dedication to a faith-filled life.

With gratitude for our entire community,

BILL O’SHEA MARIANNE GRACE BOARD CHAIR

HEAD OF SCHOOL

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STRATEGIC PLAN

As part of our strategic planning process, we have honed our mission, vision, and philosophy to anchor this plan and ensure we take every step forward with our founding principles in mind. We are excited to share our refined mission, vision, and philosophy that will carry us through this plan’s execution.

MISSION

Who Are We? Merion Mercy, an independent Catholic, college preparatory school sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, empowers young women to lead, learn, and serve through an education grounded in spiritual development and academic and personal excellence.

VISION

Why A Merion Mercy Education?

Committed to the Catholic faith and the Mercy tradition, we inspire young women to live mercy, seek justice, and lead change to better the world.

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

How Do We Deliver On Our Mission?

Merion Mercy engages students through reflection and transformational learning experiences that develop critical thinking skills, cultivate student agency, unleash creativity, harness the power of collaboration, and build community.

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MERION MERCY ACADEMY

To move Merion Mercy Academy along a continued path of excellence, innovation, and continued vitality, our strategic priorities fall into five areas:

Academic Excellence and Transformative Learning Build upon Merion Mercy Academy’s strong academic foundation to further expand our leading, innovative, and student-centered academic program.

Principled Leadership Inspire and empower our students through transformative opportunities in women’s leadership and service in the Mercy tradition.

Dynamic Learning Environments Enhance our campus facilities to accelerate collaboration, creativity, flexible thinking, and community engagement.

Institutional Resilience and Accessibility Ensure our sustained vitality by attracting and retaining students, building a strong culture of philanthropy, and promoting Merion Mercy’s unique value.

Faith, Cultural Fluency, and Community Promote a welcoming, culturally responsive, and spiritually fulfilling community, grounded in the Gospel and Mercy values.

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OUR PILLARS

STRATEGIC PLAN

Academic Excellence and Transformative Learning With a tradition of academic excellence, Merion Mercy Academy is at the forefront of girls’ education. This plan focuses on programming and learning experiences that prioritize our students’ growth as healthy, independent, and strong young women who are prepared for lives of academic and professional success that will satisfy their personal aspirations and serve the world.

GOAL

Build upon Merion Mercy Academy’s

LAUNCH signature programming such as specialized major

strong academic

tracks, senior capstone projects, and internships that allow for

foundation to further expand our leading,

personalization and encourage students to delve deeply into their learning.

innovative, and

DEVELOP curricula and programming on entrepreneurship,

student-centered

design/algorithmic thinking, cultural competency, and media and

academic program.

financial literacy that foster essential capacities for the future.

ESTABLISH a culture of health and wellness for students and faculty at Merion Mercy.

LEVERAGE Merion Mercy Academy’s proximity to Philadelphia to develop experiential learning opportunities and strategic educational partnerships.

EXPAND, DIVERSIFY, AND MARKET summer programs to increase revenue, serve as an admissions pipeline, and broaden the student experience.

SUSTAIN AND DEVELOP a diverse, world-class faculty committed to Merion Mercy Academy’s mission, vision, and educational philosophy.

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“We expect our students to be problem solvers and leaders. Through an

academic

plan that celebrates independent thinking and imagination and provides both expanded resources and challenges, we will ensure that our students not only prepare for what comes next, they shape it.”

—PATRICIA SACK, E NG L I S H D E P A R TM E NT CHA IR

Through God’s boundless love, mercy has no beginning, no end, no limits. The more you give and receive it, the more it grows.

It is adaptive by nature, a force for all people and all times. We believe mercy has boundless and enduring power to transform people and our world for good.

For this reason, building mercy in authentic ways weaves into every aspect of our new strategic plan: Boundless Mercy, Infinite Possibilities.

This dynamic roadmap for the next five years will activate our community’s sense of faith, purpose, and belonging while developing

“When look around at the worldwomen today,leaders we can smart, we skilled, healthy, and compassionate whosee are theuniquely work prepared of Catherine is increasingly as important now to take McAuley mercy into an complex andas it was in 1827 when interconnected world. she opened the doors to the House on Baggot Street. What our world needs is a lot more mercy. By offering opportunities in women’s leadership and service in the Mercy tradition, MMA students will realize their power to change in the now.

Their experiences will help shape, mold, and inform their journeys post-Merion so they can be, ‘shining lamps, giving light to all around us.’”

—KATRINA KEATING ’12

OUR PILLARS

STRATEGIC PLAN

Principled Leadership This pillar furthers our commitment to preparing young women to enter the real world with strength of character, grace, and confidence. We are well-positioned as an all-girls’ Mercy school to empower our students to lead lives of academic and professional excellence and exceptional leadership while serving and bettering the communities in which they live.

GOAL

Inspire and empower our students through transformative opportunities in women’s leadership and service in the Mercy tradition.

EMBED leadership

BUILD an Institute of Social

ESTABLISH a “Mercy in

programming and curriculum

Impact that puts Mercy

Action” speaker series tied to

into the life of the school

values into practice through

academic and co-curricular

to cultivate skills such as

service-learning opportunities

programs that strengthen

confidence, resilience,

while deepening students’

connection and mentorship

strategic thinking, empathy,

understanding of issues in

between alumnae and current

and agency in a culturally

the community and a sense

students.

diverse world.

of responsibility to address them.

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OUR PILLARS

STRATEGIC PLAN

Dynamic Learning Environments Because environment plays a key role in learning, our focus on facilities is clear.

We will invest in creating and maintaining physical spaces that spur intellectual curiosity, promote exploration, spark creativity, and support communication and collaboration—all essential skills for the interconnected world.

GOAL

Enhance our campus facilities to accelerate collaboration, creativity,

CREATE flexible learning spaces throughout

flexible thinking, and community

the school (including classroom redesign) that

engagement.

enhance learning and community connection.

TRANSFORM the library and media center into a contemporary learning commons.

DEVELOP AND ADVANCE a master plan for the school facility that includes modernizing the original 1954 school building and updating the infrastructure with prioritization of environmental sustainability.

EXPAND opportunities for “home fields/courts” for athletic teams and facilities for music, theater, and arts.

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“Schools in the 19th and early 20th centuries were designed to prepare students for the compliance-based work. Today’s schools need to be designed to

students’

capacity for collaboration, creativity, communication, and problem-solving. Flexible and dynamic learning environments will support Merion students in becoming agile and future-ready thinkers.”

—PHILIP VINOGRADOV, D I R E CTO R O F I NNO V A T IO N , T EA C H IN G , A N D L EA RN IN G

These are steps that we must take to sustain the long-term of Merion Mercy Academy. We need these actions to continue to provide a quality, top-notch education for our students now and in the future. These actions will also allow us to generate the revenue needed to sustain the health of our beloved Merion Mercy Academy.

—LAURA STUBBS ’75, B O A R D O F TR U S TE E S

OUR PILLARS

STRATEGIC PLAN

Institutional Resilience and Accessibility All of our institutional progress is contingent upon a vibrant and engaged student body, a supportive school community, and a fiscally sound operational plan. To support our resilience and maintain accessibility, we are committed to advancing our plan that will sustain Merion’s mission for future generations of women.

GOAL

Ensure our sustained vitality by attracting and retaining students,

ENHANCE the strategic enrollment management

building a strong culture of

process including leveraging community support

philanthropy, and promoting Merion

in student recruitment and emphasizing a

Mercy’s unique value.

personalized admissions experience for families to attract and retain students from a variety of backgrounds.

EFFECTIVELY manage tuition and financial aid consistent with Merion Mercy’s mission and distinctive value and in support of long-term sustainability.

STRENGTHEN our development program to energize and expand a culture of giving among our community members who love and care deeply for our school.

LAUNCH a powerful marketing campaign that communicates the distinct value of the Merion Mercy experience in genuine and impactful ways.

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OUR PILLARS

STRATEGIC PLAN

Faith, Cultural Fluency, and Community Our mission calls us to empower young women to become agents of change, compelled by the Mercy philosophy. This plan will allow us to further activate our school’s commitment to Mercy values through intentional work to cultivate the spiritual growth of students, deepen our cultural fluency, ensure a sense of belonging for all members of our community, and strengthen connections with alumnae who serve as powerful, real-life examples of what it means to live mercy and seek justice in the world.

GOAL

Promote a welcoming, culturally responsive, and spiritually fulfilling

NURTURE AND SUPPORT the spiritual

community, grounded in the Gospel

development of students in the Mercy tradition

and Mercy values.

and our Catholic faith.

STRENGTHEN cultural competency and offer impactful development opportunities for students and faculty by cultivating strong partnerships with a variety of schools in the area of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB).

DEEPEN outreach to our global alumnae network and provide students with opportunities to learn from and be mentored by alumnae.

FURTHER ADVANCE plans to hire and retain a more diverse administration, faculty, and staff and broaden the curriculum to create a culture of belonging for all students.

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“Catherine McAuley wrote of the young women educated by the Sisters of Mercy in the 1830s, ‘... since whatever be the station they are destined to fill, their example and advice will always possess influence …’

Oh, how true this is today! Merion Mercy Academy educates tomorrow’s women of .

This is why we must create spiritually-fulfilling space for each of our students and educate the whole person: mind, heart, and soul. Now more than ever, the world needs leaders who are compelled by mercy, principled in leadership, and inspired with faith.”

—DANIELLE GAGNON, RSM, D I R EC T OR OF M IS S IO N, MINIS T R Y , A ND B E L O NG ING

It is an exciting time to be a member of the Merion Mercy Academy community. Boundless Mercy, Infinite Possibilities is an ambitious plan, but with the support of our community, we are excited and eager to embark on this important work. We will begin implementing some initiatives during this current school year while others, like designing new programming, deepening relationships, and growing stewardship, will require a longer time frame.

As we look to the future, Merion Mercy Academy is perfectly poised to build upon our solid foundation, secure in the knowledge that we remain unshakably rooted in Mercy values.

“I am so to have been a part of the Strategic Planning Committee, and I am eager to see the plan we have created be implemented into the community of Merion Mercy to make it stronger and more united than ever.”

—EMILY MURPHY ’22

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Light and Leadership Throughout the 2020-2021 school year, the following members of the steering committee and design team worked tirelessly to bring this plan to life: STEERING COMMITTEE*

DESIGN TEAM

Eileen Daly Killeen '68, P'95, '99

STUDENTS

ALUMNAE

CHAIRS

Maisy Denn '21

Jeff Mayer

Bill O’Shea, P’06, ’13

Angela DiCocco Donnelly '04

Emily Dolan Multari '93

Isis Smith-Campbell '23

Laura Farrell, (Head of School, 2019-2022) TRUSTEES

Diane Johnson DiCicco ‘97 Megan Grady, P’19, ’20 Sister Christine McCann, RSM Ellen Byrnes Willcox ‘80, P’12

Manaii Beckwith '22

Queade Dweh '11

Christina Feo Penezic '80, P'17

Deanna Javage '13

Mike Sims

Olivia Tingley-Kelley '22

Katrina Keating '12

Kyle Thompson

Molly Murphy '22

Christine Schaad Krause '05

Ben York

Olivia Opiela '22

Molly Mita McEndy '07 Kim Pham '21 Maureen Brogan Roberts '00 Meagan Sloan '06

PARENTS

Matt Bouloutian, P'23 Shemesha Burton, P '21 Gail Connor, P'11

Grace Donnelly '22

Mira Tensuan-Eli '22 Emma Whitman '22 TRUSTEES

Sister Marybeth Beretta, RSM

Hanna Scott '21

Nicole Perretta Elguicze, '91, P'22, '24

Mark Bullock

ADMINISTRATORS

Tess Szathmary '21

Scott Emerson, P'21

Stacy Gallagher

Amber Wiggins '21

Michael Folgia, P'22

Bob Dunne, P'07, '12

Valerie Prucnal

CONSULTANT

Vivian Ghazarian P’23

Philip Vinogradov

Lorri Palko

Tina Gilbert, P'22

MEMBERS OF THE

FACULTY/STAFF

FACULTY

Maria Miele Boyd '72, P'05

Michelle Williams ‘96

Carol Restifo, P’16 Patricia Sack Suzanne Corey Walker ‘99 PARENTS

Theresa Tensuan-Eli P’22

Alexis Browsh '99 Zack Charles Katie Cho Deanna Crawford, P'17 John Durkin Bernie Fahy Shannon Fisher

STUDENTS

Atisha Fordyce

Emily Murphy ’22

Marianne Grace, P'04

Xaria Burgess ‘22

Mary Jane Greene Anne Gregg

*All members of the Steering Committee participated on a design team

Rose Mary Gregitis, P'12, '15, '19 Dominique Gwaltney Harris '09

Jennifer Healey, P'23 Paul Healey, P'23 Monique Keene, P'21 David Ix, P'20 James McMonagle, P'16, '24 Alex Parson, P'22 Mary Ellen Porreca, P'23 Chuck Sack, P'13, '15, '21 Tara Keohane Scherf '94, P'22, '25 Kathy Siegfried, P'06, '09, '10 Frances Temple-West, P'24 Lisa Votta, P'11

Elsie Caldwell, P'96 Megan Knott, P'21 Lisa Nicolella Farrell '78, P'13 Beth Howley Krieger '76 Catharine McGeever, P'16 Dennis Riley, P'20 Laura Stubbs '75 Christine WechslerRayer '95

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